1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system that permits an operator to fire heavy caliber firearms, e.g., 0.50 caliber, at short ranges with reduced backsplatter of target material and ricocheting bullet fragments.
2. Prior Art
Bullet screens and traps used on firing ranges are known to the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,620 discloses an anti-spatter screen made of rubber-like material adapted to self-closing is secured to the front face of a deflector plate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,712 discloses a bullet trap for indoor shooting with small arms using a vertically-suspended rubber curtain and a vertically-suspended steel impact plate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,008 describes a bullet trap having a passageway between upper and lower boundary walls converging on a deceleration chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,434 discloses a bullet trap for pistol and rifle ranges having one or more deflecting plates having curved sections which direct bullets toward a back wall and a final impact plate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,647 describes a projectile trap having three groups of suspended polyurethane sheets in which these sheets have increasing hardness as a bullet traverses them.
An embodiment of the invention provides a screen in a target system that is durable, nonflammable, and reduces backsplatter of material dislodged by a bullet and ricochet of bullet fragments from a target or its backstop. The screen is more durable than conventional target systems such as those using wood or elastomers for screen material. Conventional materials not only need replacement more often but also are flammable when used with certain incendiary munitions. A novel feature of the screen of an embodiment of the present invention is a tapered end on each of the hard cementitious individual fill elements that is faced to the shooter.
In one embodiment, the bullet screen is supported along its vertical edges by stacked blocks of appropriate strength to contain the combined weight of components that comprise the screen. The components may be cylinders having conical ends, the points of which are faced to the shooter. The cylinders may be stacked one above the other, i.e., in a xe2x80x9csquarexe2x80x9d configuration, or offset between the underlying cylinders, i.e., in an xe2x80x9cequilateral trianglexe2x80x9d configuration. Another embodiment envisions the components having a trapezoidal cross section as opposed to the circular cross section of the cylinders. These trapezoidal components would be stacked one on top of the other or stacked offset much the same as the cylinders may be. The ends of these trapezoidal elements may be tapered toward a chisel end configuration with four planes tapering from the point to each of the sides of the trapezoid, much like a cold chisel. This tapered portion would face the shooter, thus offering the same advantages as the cylindrical components in determining the direction an impacting bullet would most likely take.
Either configuration provides openings along the sides of the screen""s components for bullets and debris to pass. The direction that a bullet takes upon impact is influenced by initial impact at a necessarily shallow angle on the conical or wedge-shaped front of 30 the screen""s components. This low impact angle serves to direct the bullet as well as any dislodged debris toward the rear of the components and into a backstop rather than ricocheting off the typically flat surface of a conventional durable hard target such as a masonry wall. Further, the bullet may experience multiple low angle impacts on multiple conical or wedge sections thus the screen may absorb much of its energy while also directing its flight to the backstop.
In a preferred embodiment, the components of the screen are fabricated from shock-absorbing, foamed, fiber-reinforced concrete. Further, the concrete may contain an excess of calcium hydroxide. Upon exposure to moisture, the excess calcium hydroxide produces a slightly alkaline leachate that interacts with the heavy metals, such as lead, that are components of the bullets impacting the screen. This interaction stabilizes any heavy metal embedded in the screen, immobilizing it and preventing it from leaching into the groundwater. A further advantage of the screen is that it requires little maintenance, e.g., it requires no coatings to deter rot or insect damage. Because it is impervious to natural erosion and constructed of durable materials, it has an inherently longer service life. Finally, the screen may be used in applications that use incendiary, deflagrating or tracer munitions on the range because it is nonflammable. Other materials, such as wood or elastomers, may be used in building bullet traps where fire hazards are low and durability is of secondary importance.